1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multiple laundry machine, and more particularly to a multiple laundry machine capable of separately washing a small amount of laundry.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a laundry machine means an apparatus for washing, drying, or washing and drying laundry. One laundry machine can perform only a washing function or a drying function or can perform both the washing and drying functions. Recently, a laundry machine, which includes a steam supplier, to have a refresh function for, for example, removal of wrinkles, odor, static electricity, etc. from laundry, has been available.
Meanwhile, conventional laundry machines are classified into a front loading type and a top loading type in accordance with the direction that laundry is taken out. Also, conventional laundry machines are classified into a vertical-axis type, in which a pulsator or an inner tub rotates, and a horizontal-axis type, in which a horizontally-extending drum rotates. The representative example of such a horizontal-axis type laundry machine is a drum washing machine or a drum drying machine.
Such laundry machines have a tendency to have a large size, in order to meet the recent demand of users. That is, laundry machines used for domestic purposes have a tendency to have a large outer size.
Generally, only one large-capacity washing machine is equipped in a home. When it is desired to wash different kinds of laundry in an independent manner, using the washing machine, it is necessary to operate the washing machine several times. For example, when it is desired to wash laundry such as adult clothes and laundry such as underclothes or baby clothes in an independent manner, the washing machine operates two times to individually wash the two different kinds of laundry. For this reason, the washing time increases.
Furthermore, it is undesirable to use the large-capacity washing machine in washing a small amount of laundry, in terms of saving of energy, as in conventional cases. This is because the washing course set in the large-capacity washing machine is typical for the case, in which the amount of laundry to be washed is large, so that the amount of water to be consumed in the washing course is large. Also, a large amount of electricity is consumed because it is necessary to rotate a large-size drum or pulsator. In additional, since the washing course set in the large-capacity washing machine is typical for the case, in which the amount of laundry to be washed is large, the washing time is relatively long.
Also, the washing course set in the large-capacity washing machine is typical for general clothes. For this reason, the large-capacity washing machine may be unsuitable for the washing of delicate clothes such as underclothes or baby clothes.
In addition, the large-capacity washing machine is unsuitable in the case in which washing of a small amount of laundry should be frequently performed. Generally, users collect laundry for several days, in order to wash the collected laundry at one time.
However, leaving laundry, in particular, underclothes or baby clothes, without immediately washing them, is undesirable in terms of cleanliness. Furthermore, when such clothes are left for a long period of time, there is a problem in that they cannot be cleanly washed because dirt may be fixed to the clothes.
In this regard, it is necessary to use a small-size washing machine having a capacity much smaller than the conventional large-capacity washing machine. However, where two small-size washing machines are equipped in a home, and they are laterally arranged in parallel, there are problems associated with space utility and beauty, even though the size of the washing machines is small.